1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to oil burning lamps.
2. Description of Related Art
Oil burning lamps have been around for many years. However, the recent popularity in outdoor lighting has created a renewed interest in oil burning lamps and lanterns. Some of these lamps are designed as stand-alone light sources, and some are designed to be placed in decorative lanterns where the light can be magnified and/or used to create a certain ambiance.
These oil burning lamps typically have a reservoir portion which holds the oil or fuel, and a wick that extends out from the reservoir for lighting and burning. The reservoir portion usually includes an inlet port through which the reservoir can be refilled with fuel. In addition, some lamps include a wick advancement mechanism.
One problem associated with oil burning lamps when used outdoors in warm temperatures or in areas with fluctuating temperatures is that a buildup of heat, resulting from exposure of the lamp or its oil reservoir to sunlight or fluctuating temperatures, can cause fuel to expand. Expansion of the fuel can lead to messy leaks and unexpected overflows. A user can fill a lamp with oil in the relatively cooler part of the day, leave the lamp unattended in an area exposed to rising ambient temperatures or to sunlight, and return to find that the oil has overflowed the reservoir.
Another problem associated with oil burning lamps, particularly those lamps with fuel inlet ports located on the top of the reservoir portion, is that users occasionally attempt to refill the reservoir with fuel while the lamp is burning. Refilling lamps with fuel while they are burning presents obvious dangers, including fuel spills and injury to the user and others from fires and explosions.
Yet another problem associated with some oil burning lamps is that if they are inadvertently knocked over, the fuel can spill, creating the potential for a fire.
Thus, although oil burning lamps have been around for many years, they still pose several potential problems.